8 Hotels You Didn't Know Were Owned By Celebrities

From Donatella Versace's crazy-opulent Palazzo Versace to John Malkovich's budget inns, here are eight celebs who have launched successful second careers as hoteliers.

Andy Murray's Cromlix House 

Tennis star Andy Murray bought the historic Cromlix estate back in 2013 for £1.8M, and has since poured over £6M into developing it. The 15th century estate is set in 34 acres of woodland and gardens and features just 10 bedrooms, five suites and a one-bedroom gate lodge.

The US Open, Olympic and Wimbledon champion has sought to reinvent the era of country house living and has appointed each of the bedrooms with antique furniture, 400 thread-count Egyptian cotton linen from Peter Reed and bespoke toiletries from Arran Aromatics.

Earlier this year, the hotel was voted the most luxurious hotel in Scotland for the second year in a row, and the hotel's culinary consultant, celebrity chef Albert Roux, has received the Fellowship for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry award. Roux is owner of Le Gavroche in London, the first UK restaurant to be awarded three Michelin Stars.

Cromlix is said to be launching tennis breaks at the property, which will include personal coaching sessions with professional tennis players.

Robert De Niro's Greenwich Hotel

Robert De Niro opened Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca in 2008 and instantly became the darling hotelier of NYC. He’d created a stylish oasis of tranquility and peace insulated from the hubbub of Manhattan traffic and noise. The interior was refined, mixing the best of “British country house” with a spare luxury. Despite the influx of celebrities you might glimpse in the lobby, the hotel prides itself on being low-key.

Notoriously obsessive in his film roles, De Niro was as hands-on about the design and aesthetic of the hotel, personally choosing the craftsmen and interior designers to cultivate a place he personally would feel good in. The wrought iron, vintage books and a private courtyard all speak to his own style.

The hotel has 88 intimate rooms, many of which have a view of the Hudson, and a three-bedroom penthouse that features an open floor plan with a separate living room and drawing room, a full-size chef’s kitchen, three fireplaces, two and a half baths, and a private outdoor garden on two levels that spans over 4k SF and includes a spa pool and dining for 18 guests.

The success of The Greenwich isn’t just a fluke or a result of De Niro’s celebrity. He recently received planning approval for a Covent Garden hotel in London.

Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch Carmel

If Robert De Niro is the hotelier of choice for celebrities, Clint Eastwood is the hotelier for ordinary people who just want a special place to stay. A longtime resident of Carmel, CA, Eastwood snapped up Mission Ranch in 1986 when the historic property was set to become a condo development. He renovated the entire property, conserving as much history as possible in every beam. Mission Ranch now features 31 rooms over 10 properties spread across 22 acres.

Mission Ranch has a variety of unique lodging options ranging from the rustic Bunkhouse, the 1850's Farmhouse or the meadow-view rooms with whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, and private patio decks or balconies. The hotel is considered one of Carmel’s best places for celebrations, including weddings.  

In 2000, Eastwood bought The Homestead, another historic Carmel property, and renovated it in 2004. It now features 12 cottages and a patio with a stone fireplace where guests can relax and have a glass of wine from one of the local vineyards. He kept four of the rooms rustic and affordable so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy Carmel.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Blackadore Caye

When he's not filming mega-movies, Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is an evangelist for environmental causes. He acquired Blackadore Caye with the vision to create the greenest luxury development ever.  

Located in Belize behind the world’s second-largest barrier reef, Blackadore Caye aims to be the world’s first truly restorative island development, completely powered by renewable energy and designed to increase the biological health of species on the island and in the waters around it.

The project will contain a world-class luxury hotel resort with off-the-grid "living homes", a research station on climate change and habitat impacts, leading restoration programs and more. 

A spokesperson for the development tells Bisnow the Blackadore Caye Development Group works to ensure Blackadore is a good neighbor to the surrounding fisheries, small businesses and local communities. To that end, DiCaprio and his team have spent the last six months gathering feedback from local stakeholders and citizens on the original project design. The final design reflects the input of the surrounding community on every aspect of the project, including the removal of overwater structures that garnered great design acclaim but caused concern for a few local environmentalists.

Francis Ford Coppola's Palazzo Margherita  

Francis Ford Coppola owns numerous ventures, including hotels, resorts and wineries. The town where Palazzo Margherita was built in 1892 is the birthplace of Coppola’s grandfather. He bought the Palazzo in 2004 with the desire to transform it into a small, luxurious Italian boutique hotel, believing it was time to introduce visitors to this still undiscovered region of Italy.

Coppola completely restored The Palazzo, and recruited his entire family to contribute their designs to the hotel. The interior features restored original marble floors, hand-painted fresco ceilings and exotic furniture.

John Malkovich's Big Sleep Hotels

John Malkovich’s budget chic Big Sleep hotels in the UK are designed for the masses. The locations—Cardiff, Cheltenham and Eastbourne—are notable only because they are Not London. The hotels are stylish (they’ve been called “IKEA Chic”), outfitted with flat-screen TVs, broadband, and tea and coffee making facilities. With an average price of £109/night, the hotels are aimed at those who don’t want to spend a fortune but need somewhere to stay that delivers value.

Gloria Estefan's Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa

Gloria Estefan is an international performer, children’s book author, and successful restaurateur and hotelier. Her Costa d’Este Beach Resort in Vero Beach, about an hour north of Palm Beach, is said to be an extension of her own home, infused with her own personality and style. Some paintings on her walls at home are duplicated at the hotel, and the minimalist decor is what she prefers.

The hotel is comprised of two five-story Miami-style towers with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean, and features a beachfront infinity pool; a spa and fitness centre; and beach services, including paddle boarding, ocean kayaking and snorkeling rental. The unpretentious hotel is also pet-friendly.

Donatella Versace’s Palazzo Versace

You'd have to stay in a palace to find a place more opulent than Donatella Versace’s Palazzo Versace. Imagine if a teenage Saudi prince and a 15th century Italian king colluded to create the most outrageously luxury hotel known to mankind, and you get Palazzo Versace. The lobby alone has acres of sumptuous white marble, gold-topped Corinthian columns and massive crystal chandeliers. 

The designer recently opened her second hotel. The Dubai location is every bit as luxurious as the original. Each of the 215 rooms features parquet flooring, a canvas of elaborate white and cream boiseries, and a pastel palette of silk furnishings. The Palazzo Versace's rooms and suites are furnished with the Versace Home Collection that features "uplifting colours" like turquoise, blue, beige, gold and salmon. Private balconies, bathrooms with Carrara marble and rainforest showers round out the luxury detailing.

If you're interested in celebrities' hotels, you've got to check out our interview with Michael Douglas about his upcoming Caribbean resort.